Buy Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu PC key

Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu is a competitive multiplayer racing game for 1–4 players. You sprint, dive and dodge through hazardous stages, using fruit items to sabotage rivals or gain an advantage. Each round eliminates racers who fall too far behind; the last racer standing earns a star, then everyone respawns for a new round. At the finish line, the game tallies stars, finishing position, popularity and badges to determine the winner.

Races and stages

Hazards make each race unpredictable, from deer and forklifts to carp, balloon men and giant octopuses. Stages have multiple routes and shortcuts, and each has its own atmosphere and dangers:

• Yoko Harbour: navigate forklifts, sailors, scissor lifts and a giant octopus with a vendetta.
• Shika Shika Deer Town: race through bamboo forests and temple grounds, among deer with attitude and the high-speed Bromance Car.
• Let’s Go Ramen Museum: dodge mascots, broth vats and conveyor belts.

Items and strategy

Every item has multiple uses, whether offensive, defensive, tactical or simply absurd. You can also eat your weapon for a speed boost.

• Melons: cause heat-seeking chaos and blow up gas tanks, hazards or unlucky spectators.
• Bananas: drop them with precision to trip up rivals.
• Pineapples: float over hazards or create shortcuts.
• Cucumbers: spin-attack to clear opponents and control the flow of play.
• Mushrooms: leave a smelly purple cloud that drains popularity.

Hitting hazards costs stamina and slows you down. You recover by staying safe or eating items. Contestants also differ in Acceleration, Recovery, Acrobatics and Stamina, giving you further ways to shape your racing strategy.

Game modes

Single Marathon Versus is the core mode, while Cup Versus strings multiple stages together. A Tutorial lets you learn the basics and practise falling over. You can play locally or through Remote Play Together, set CPU difficulty levels, or assign every racer to the CPU and watch the bots compete.

Contestants and extras

The Contestant Creator offers trillions of combinations for making mascots, nightmares, idols or other characters, with space to save up to 20 across devices via Steam Cloud. You can wave to crowds to earn popularity points, which count toward your score and carry over in Cup Mode. Podium poses include unique animations, with some unlocked through secret commands. Photo Mode lets you pause, zoom and frame the action, and the game also features an all-new soundtrack, anime-style effects and Sora the Troll’s commentary.

Super Hazards include mini-boss encounters such as yokai crow-people and the giant octopus. You must survive these encounters or be wiped out.